Below you will find Draft 1.0 of the narrative that was created by the WCEA-WASC Core Team, temporarily formatted in this Wiki. All comments and edits should be included at the bottom of the document below the narrative. In order to allow for continuity of the document and clarity of revisions, all focus group members should write bulleted notes below the narrative. Category A: Organization for Student Learning
A5: School Environment Criterion
To What Extent... Does the school have a safe, healthy, nurturing environment that reflects the school’s philosophy and mission? Does the school environment foster community and the achievement of religious and educational goals? Is the school environment characterized by a respect for differences, trust, caring, professionalism, support, and high expectations for each student?
Focus Group Findings
Evidence
Safe Campus Moreau Catholic High School maintains a safe, healthy, nurturing environment. Consistent feedback, from incoming parent and student interviews to schoolwide survey results, indicate that Moreau Catholic is a safe campus. According to the 2010 WASC/WCEA Survey, 98% of parent respondents felt that MCHS was a safe school with 96% of students rating the the school as well. Student safety is a top priority of all faculty and staff from office staff, custodial and maintenance staff, campus supervisors, faculty, and administrators. The school employs three campus supervisors who patrol the campus from 7:00am-7:00pm daily and support the assistant principals in campus and event supervision. The school enjoys the support of a School Resource Officer in partnership with the Hayward Police Department. Faculty and administrators are present at all school events to ensure a safe environment. The school maintains a closed campus with visitors required to sign in and out through the Main Office. In 2011 the school installed an automatic security gate at the rear of the campus. New security plans call for the installation of a front gate after the Mission blvd. construction is completed. All faculty and staff are pre-screened through a comprehensive background check and participate in the Safe Environment for Children Project coordinated through the Diocese of Oakland. In addition, all members of the school’s coaching staff are CPR and first aid certified. The school community regularly practices emergency procedures in accordance with state and local recommendations including fire, earthquake, and shelter in place emergency. The leadership team regularly evaluates and upgrades existing emergency protocols.
WASC 2010 survey
Campus supervisor Schedule
School Resource Officer Schedule
Visitor log (Boswell)
SEC Project
Safety training for coaches (CPR/First Aid add CIF*)
Emergency Plans (Alcott)
Personnel Guide Appendix A
Welcoming, Healthy, and Nurturing Environment Moreau Catholic is truly a family. In the hiring process, educators must articulate their ability to follow and support the school’s Mission statement. As a lay community, the school is called to follow the values of Holy Cross. Though the school’s student leadership, the Holy Cross charisms of educating hearts and minds, being family, building respect, and bringing hope are constantly reinforced and built thematically into all aspects of liturgy, activities, and other elements of student life at Moreau Catholic. Overwhelmingly, students feel that the school values and develops personal, caring relationships throughout the entire school community with 85% responding Always/Usually in the school’s 2010 Holy Cross Mission survey results. Faculty, staff, and community also indicated the school Always/Usually works to cultivate these relationships. Further, 87% of students Always/Usually feel that their teachers demonstrate a spirit of family, respect, community, and integrity.
Holy Cross Mission Survey Results
Parents of new students have commented that they felt part of the school from the very beginning of the admissions process. Moreau Catholic’s Open House is welcoming, using faculty and staff, students, coaches and parents to help embrace all community members. During placement tests, Back to School Night, and new student registration, Link Leaders and Student Ambassadors placed throughout the school to direct and welcome visitors to our school. Spring Welcome Night is an opportunity for our newest Mariners to build connections with the larger Mariner family, and leave with a picture of their classmates. The frosh and transfer students also have a fun-filled orientation day prior to the beginning of school which includes a tour, barbecue lunch and a run through of their class schedule. This day includes a 9th Grade Parent Orientation and the opportunity for parents to attend each class with their son/daughter. This orientation day has proved to be quite successful and the school has moved away from a 9th Grade Parent Evening and focused its efforts on strengthening the Parent Orientation program. Link Leaders mentor their 9th grade students throughout the school year to insure that all incoming students develop connections with older students. During the school year, the Academic Support Center uses National Honors Society student tutors to provide ongoing support for students needing additional tutoring. The class schedule has evolved to provide students the opportunity to enjoy social, spiritual and academic activities during a student choice period called collaboration. The development of collaboration, through the input from all constituents of the school, has also added to increasing student achievement and school community.
Open House Schedule
Spring Welcome Night picture
9th grade Student Orientation Schedule
Link Crew Newsletter
NHS Tutoring
Bell Schedule
School administrators reach out to surrounding homeowners and businesses to maintain the lines of communication and maintain a safe and orderly campus environment. Our community service program helps the school keep a presence in the surrounding communities and local organizations, which contributes to a strong, positive relationship. The school promotes respect for others, safety, and mindfulness through such programs as AlcoholEdu, the Safe schools unit in 9th grade PE, Dead week proposal (initiated by student comments to AP of Instruction), our phone and email response policy, and our grade update policy for Powerschool.
Community Service Program
AlcoholEDU
Safe Schools P.E.Unit
Personnel Guide p.70, 27
Beginning in the fall of 2006, the Counseling Department added a new program to better support those students with learning differences. Called Saints and Scholars, this program has grown to now include approximately 60 students. The Saints and Scholars coordinator is a member of the Counseling department and also works with a small section of the general student population. The coordinator works with the Academic Support Center coordinator, the study skills teacher, and the AP of Student Support to help identify opportunities of teacher education, student support and curriculum design to assist students with varied learning styles and skills.
Saints & Scholars Program
Academic Support Center
Moreau Catholic is proud of having many active parent organizations to support the school: Parent Ambassadors, Band Parents, Environmental Stewardship, Athletic Boosters, Parent Prayer Group, and the Parent Club. One of the most active parent groups on campus is the Athletic Booster Club. With over 350 families as part of the club, the Boosters insure that all athletic teams have support both financially and personally. The Boosters run the snack bar at football, volleyball, basketball, track and baseball games and also are charged with coordinating the sale of Mariner wear clothing. The annual Crab Feed, serves over 700 guests with over 200 volunteers and is the largest fundraiser for the Athletic Program. Although it serves as an opportunity to raise monies for the entire athletic program, it is also a community event that brings back alumni, alumni parents, and community members. Parents and alumni are also present on the Board of Trustees, and on the standing board committees: Mission Integration Committee, Finance Committee, and Institutional Advancement. We have hosted a Parish Leadership Dinner, each year for the past 15 years, to celebrate our partnership with our local Diocesan schools and parishes.
Parent Clubs
Crab Feed
Board and Committee Rosters
Booster Club Minutes
Crab Feed Docs
Parish Leadership Dinner
Wednesday morning liturgies, open to faculty, staff, students and families have been in place for the past 6 years. This weekly Mass provides the opportunity for the entire community to join in prayer and liturgical celebration. Community members are given the chance to offer prayer intentions for any areas of the school community. Our monthly birthday celebrations for faculty and staff members include prayers offered at a Wednesday morning liturgy followed by a breakfast potluck, organized by one of our faculty members. Informal prayer spaces are woven throughout our school. For example, faculty make use of a prayer space in many of their classrooms, include daily prayers and meditations, and all sports contests begin with a team prayer. Some teams, such as football, begin their preparation for competition by celebrating Mass. Students are given the opportunity for prayerful reflection on a regular basis, and prayer is emphasized as a major aspect of their learning experience.
School Calendar
Student Attendance required for all school liturgies*
The Moreau Catholic community works together to assist other people in need. From Hurricane Katrina to the most recent typhoons and tsunami in Samoa and the Philippines, the Moreau Catholic community has responded to support the global community through our mission drives. Campus Ministry similarly sponsors local needs by coordinating Thanksgiving food drives for the Alameda Food Bank, Salvation Army Christmas Toy Drives, and our Advent and Lenten food drives. Many on-campus clubs also take on the responsibility for meeting the needs of various charitable organizations.
Mission Collections
Club Charitable Activities
Kiva Program in Economics class*
Mariner participation in the life of the school through their academic, social and spiritual growth can also be seen in their presence on several standing committees. Student voice is present in the Student Curriculum Committee, which advises Academic Council, and the Assistant Principal of Instruction. Students are also present on the Mission Integration board committee. The school continuously looks for additional opportunities for students to be actively involved in the development of programs, policies and procedures at Moreau Catholic.
Moreau Catholic is committed to finding ways to recognize the variety of student accomplishments and their academic, social and spiritual growth. Student recognition occurs in morning announcements, on MCTV, at our annual Evening of Excellence, at our schoolwide Academic Assembly, at the class culminating retreat services, by recognizing students of the month, at athletic banquets and more. Recognition also occurs in our publications such as the On Course, our monthly school newsletter, and the Vector, our quarterly magazine.
Student Government*
Class meetings at beginning of year*
Senior graduation meeting *
Morning Announcements
Evening of Excellence Program
Student of the month
On Course
Vector
One of our school’s most exciting annual traditions is Spirit Week. Over the years, Spirit Week has shifted from solely a class competition, aimed at winning even at the expense of other classes, to an opportunity to come together as a community in celebration of our unique gifts of talents. Students have creatively woven the inclusion of the four Holy Cross themes into the Spirit Week skits, decorations and dances. This is yet another testament of our Holy Cross heritage in helping us develop as a community of faith.
Spirt Week Videos
With the integration of the one-to-one laptop program in the fall of 2007, we also saw opportunities for the faculty and staff to come together and learn from one another. Through the first year of adoption, faculty and staff participated in a “Give-One, Get-One” activity, which allowed faculty to teach one another skills and tools to best meet the needs of all learners. This past school year, as a way to bring together all community members in strengthening their technology skills, the library staff instituted the “23 Things” schoolwide professional learning opportunity. As a community of learners, over 80% of the faculty and staff came together over a nine week period, to share their learning and experiences with twenty-three Web 2.0 tools. “23 Things,” was an example of how our faculty and staff are not only teaching our Expected Schoolwide Learning Results, but are living them.
Faculty Mtg agendas
23 Things website
COMMUNITY & RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCES Over the years, Moreau Catholic has taken great pride in fostering welcoming and hospitable community. It is a quintessential part of the school’s legacy that has been passed down from the Brothers, administration, faculty, alumni and students. Often times, faculty and alumni will share with community members that there is a tangible feeling of family and community that is in the halls, in the walls, in the very fabric of our school. This authentic commitment of respect is extended to all who enter Moreau Catholic High School. The administration and faculty communicate clearly and openly with each other and to the student population. Students feel empowered to address faculty and administration.
One of the key ways that this feeling of community exists at Moreau Catholic, is through the modeling of faculty and staff and their interactions with students. Many faculty help to foster this safe and caring environment through the day-to-day, informal and sometimes unrecognizable, embedded behaviors. These core behaviors reflect mutual respect, appreciation for, and concern of others. In a more formal way, many faculty send thank you notes to their students, contact them during difficult times, and acknowledge them as students of the month. Holy Cross Mission Assessment Survey results show that Moreau Catholic excels in this area with 86% of students, 97% of community and faculty and staff attesting to our school’s commitment to Always/Usually fostering a community atmosphere. Students comments demonstrate that they feel that Mariner teachers care about them as individuals. Theology classes and school events support open communication and diversity and promote open dialogue
Holy Cross Mission Assessment
As part of our partnership with the Oakland Diocese, we are committed to providing ongoing training and instruction for all faculty, staff, coaches, and volunteers to ensure appropriate relationships exist between students and adults. All employees and volunteers are required to complete a two hour online course called, “Shield the Vulnerable” which educates adults regarding proper interactions and procedures when abuse is suspected. School supervisors are also responsible for completing an online course on harassment and discipline in the workplace.
Shield the Vulnerable
Diverse cultural aspects are also involved in every Mass including liturgical music, offertory procession, and signs and symbols. We celebrate religious diversity in our Major Religions of the World classes, as well, which includes an activity component.
Brian Copeland, an alumnus of MCHS, wrote the book, Not a Genuine Black Man, about his experience of growing up in San Leandro; Moreau Catholic required it for summer reading and we hosted him, on-campus, for a presentation of his award winning one-man show with the same title.
Brian Copeland as a guest speaker
Faculty also note and recognize that some students feel disconnected and unsupported because of their sexual orientation, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. Our Counseling department works with small groups of students to offer ongoing support regarding these issues such as sexual orientation and stress. Student clubs such as Diversity in Action or the African American Alliance also provide a source of support.
Diversity in Action
African American Alliance
Moreau Catholic also hosts an exchange program with Funabashi Municipal High School and have been instrumental in the city relationship between Hayward and the city of Funabashi. Approximately 6 to 10 students from each high school spend up to two weeks with their host families. While there, the students attend class and participate in each respective school’s activities. For over nine years, Moreau Catholic High School has also been coordinating an exchange program with students from Notre Dame des Missions in Charenton, France. Moreau students, parents, and teacher also take part in an annual Philippine Summer Immersion program where students build houses for the poor. Moreau Catholic also continues to sponsor the Holy Cross Leadership Conference and the summer Holy Cross Immersion program for our students. In looking specifically at the school’s co-curricular programs, the school’s sports teams serve the needs of our students and fosters a sense of teamwork and support among the athletes. Over 75% of the student body participates in our athletic program.
Funabashi Exchange Program
Charenton Exchange Program
Philippine Summer Immersion
Co-Curricular Athletics
Link Crew conducts two academic seminars focusing on understanding and accepting everyone. Each freshman is led through an interactive lesson (experiential learning) and then debrief this lesson with a powerful discussion. Link Crew leaders are trained in how to respect each student especially in regard to their cultural background. At our community open forum, parents gave a strong voice of approval for the Link Crew program and it was identified as a tremendous asset for the entire school community. The schoolwide Holy Cross Mission Assessment surveys also drew attention to the importance of the school’s diverse ethnic community. Students talk to their parents about their friends without a sense of ethnic bias or barrier but instead with a natural and welcoming point of view. One parent respondent noted that the school is a real melting pot and has an atmosphere that is accepting of racial and religious diversity.
Link Crew Seminar training materials
Holy Cross Mission Assesment
xx
HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR EACH STUDENT The commitment to developing a sense of community extends into our school’s discipline policies. The school’s philosophy of student discipline empowers all students to take responsibility for their actions. From our technology policies, to classroom behavioral policies, students are given the tools and skills to help make responsible choices. Within the walls of the classroom, students help to develop behavioral policies in partnership with faculty members. Students served on the Discipline Review Committee which examined changes and additions to discipline policies. The school has also sponsored in-services that address individual and cultural differences to allow faculty insight into working with student needs. As noted in other sections, Moreau Catholic also holds high academic expectations for all students. Changes in the school's academic probation criteria resulted in the creation of an Academic Jeopardy"program to assist students for early academic intervention. To that end, assisting the counseling department, teachers, and other assistant principals, the position of Assistant Principal for Student Support was created for the Fall 2011. The responsibility of this administrator will be to assess and develop a plan for wider academic support programs for all Moreau Catholic students.
Student Handbook page 42, Chapter10
Discipline Review Committee Roster
Academic Jeopardy Program
Assistant Principal for Student Support
Focus Group Comments
Focus group recommends inclusion of the Saints and Scholars program (respect for differences) as well as the addition of the AP of Student Support Position as evidence.
Focus group recommends mention of the international student program in the paragraph that discusses Funabashi, etc.
Focus group recommends discussion of the large number of alumni who return to Moreau as staff/administration/faculty/coaches (evidence of nurturing environment = desire to return).
Could include the book drive and Read-a-thon in support of OLR as an example/evidence
Please insert any comments or edits to the narrative in this space. These comments will be integrated into future versions of the narrative.
Crab Feed largest fundraiser or student fundraiser? Clairify.
For over seven(correction: nine years) years, Moreau Catholic High School has also been coordinating an exchange program with students from Notre Dame des Missions in Charenton, France.
WE NEED the narrative to reflect this evidence.
Multicultural Week
Black History Month
International Student Program
Units on cultural and racial diversity in classes (Social Studies and English departments)
Assemblies on Cultural awareness
Multicultural Week
Cultural club activities
Anti-Bullying Week
Day of Understanding Program
Lopez Lamong guest speaker
Invisible Children program
Rosie Rios as guest speaker
Regular reminders via announcements, emails, and phone calls home (NTI)
Dance guest passes (Teekell)
Lunch with the Principal
Live at the Library
Grade level emails
Power School
Family Connection
Morning prayer over PA
Campus Ministry Team
Sports teams (check with C. Krisman)
Alumni remain involved in Mass-
artwork done for Mass
Course descriptions (Shelley)
Course evaluations (Aquino)
Evidence needed via assignments, lesson plans, projects, etc. (Shelley)
Open network environment, Power School, School website, Family Connection web resources)
Lesson plans and class projects (department chairs)
Moodle
Holy Cross Associates
Athletic Awards and Honors
Graduation Awards
Hall of Fame
Student of the Month
Sea Changes
Explorer
Yearbook
Student artwork displayed on website and flat screens and in display cases
Special exhibits outside of school (Day of the Dead, Sketches of a Memory)
Talent Show
Rallies
VAPA performances
Lunch prefecting
Presence of faculty in lots after school to monitor
Table of Contents
Narrative Introduction
Below you will find Draft 1.0 of the narrative that was created by the WCEA-WASC Core Team, temporarily formatted in this Wiki. All comments and edits should be included at the bottom of the document below the narrative. In order to allow for continuity of the document and clarity of revisions, all focus group members should write bulleted notes below the narrative.Category A: Organization for Student Learning
A5: School Environment Criterion
To What Extent...
Does the school have a safe, healthy, nurturing environment that reflects the school’s philosophy and mission? Does the school environment foster community and the achievement of religious and educational goals? Is the school environment characterized by a respect for differences, trust, caring, professionalism, support, and high expectations for each student?
Moreau Catholic High School maintains a safe, healthy, nurturing environment. Consistent feedback, from incoming parent and student interviews to schoolwide survey results, indicate that Moreau Catholic is a safe campus. According to the 2010 WASC/WCEA Survey, 98% of parent respondents felt that MCHS was a safe school with 96% of students rating the the school as well. Student safety is a top priority of all faculty and staff from office staff, custodial and maintenance staff, campus supervisors, faculty, and administrators. The school employs three campus supervisors who patrol the campus from 7:00am-7:00pm daily and support the assistant principals in campus and event supervision. The school enjoys the support of a School Resource Officer in partnership with the Hayward Police Department. Faculty and administrators are present at all school events to ensure a safe environment. The school maintains a closed campus with visitors required to sign in and out through the Main Office. In 2011 the school installed an automatic security gate at the rear of the campus. New security plans call for the installation of a front gate after the Mission blvd. construction is completed. All faculty and staff are pre-screened through a comprehensive background check and participate in the Safe Environment for Children Project coordinated through the Diocese of Oakland. In addition, all members of the school’s coaching staff are CPR and first aid certified. The school community regularly practices emergency procedures in accordance with state and local recommendations including fire, earthquake, and shelter in place emergency. The leadership team regularly evaluates and upgrades existing emergency protocols.
Moreau Catholic is truly a family. In the hiring process, educators must articulate their ability to follow and support the school’s Mission statement. As a lay community, the school is called to follow the values of Holy Cross. Though the school’s student leadership, the Holy Cross charisms of educating hearts and minds, being family, building respect, and bringing hope are constantly reinforced and built thematically into all aspects of liturgy, activities, and other elements of student life at Moreau Catholic. Overwhelmingly, students feel that the school values and develops personal, caring relationships throughout the entire school community with 85% responding Always/Usually in the school’s 2010 Holy Cross Mission survey results. Faculty, staff, and community also indicated the school Always/Usually works to cultivate these relationships. Further, 87% of students Always/Usually feel that their teachers demonstrate a spirit of family, respect, community, and integrity.
Informal prayer spaces are woven throughout our school. For example, faculty make use of a prayer space in many of their classrooms, include daily prayers and meditations, and all sports contests begin with a team prayer. Some teams, such as football, begin their preparation for competition by celebrating Mass. Students are given the opportunity for prayerful reflection on a regular basis, and prayer is emphasized as a major aspect of their learning experience.
Moreau Catholic is committed to finding ways to recognize the variety of student accomplishments and their academic, social and spiritual growth. Student recognition occurs in morning announcements, on MCTV, at our annual Evening of Excellence, at our schoolwide Academic Assembly, at the class culminating retreat services, by recognizing students of the month, at athletic banquets and more. Recognition also occurs in our publications such as the On Course, our monthly school newsletter, and the Vector, our quarterly magazine.
Over the years, Moreau Catholic has taken great pride in fostering welcoming and hospitable community. It is a quintessential part of the school’s legacy that has been passed down from the Brothers, administration, faculty, alumni and students. Often times, faculty and alumni will share with community members that there is a tangible feeling of family and community that is in the halls, in the walls, in the very fabric of our school. This authentic commitment of respect is extended to all who enter Moreau Catholic High School. The administration and faculty communicate clearly and openly with each other and to the student population. Students feel empowered to address faculty and administration.
Theology classes and school events support open communication and diversity and promote open dialogue
In looking specifically at the school’s co-curricular programs, the school’s sports teams serve the needs of our students and fosters a sense of teamwork and support among the athletes. Over 75% of the student body participates in our athletic program.
Link Crew conducts two academic seminars focusing on understanding and accepting everyone. Each freshman is led through an interactive lesson (experiential learning) and then debrief this lesson with a powerful discussion. Link Crew leaders are trained in how to respect each student especially in regard to their cultural background. At our community open forum, parents gave a strong voice of approval for the Link Crew program and it was identified as a tremendous asset for the entire school community.
The schoolwide Holy Cross Mission Assessment surveys also drew attention to the importance of the school’s diverse ethnic community. Students talk to their parents about their friends without a sense of ethnic bias or barrier but instead with a natural and welcoming point of view. One parent respondent noted that the school is a real melting pot and has an atmosphere that is accepting of racial and religious diversity.
xx
The commitment to developing a sense of community extends into our school’s discipline policies. The school’s philosophy of student discipline empowers all students to take responsibility for their actions. From our technology policies, to classroom behavioral policies, students are given the tools and skills to help make responsible choices. Within the walls of the classroom, students help to develop behavioral policies in partnership with faculty members. Students served on the Discipline Review Committee which examined changes and additions to discipline policies. The school has also sponsored in-services that address individual and cultural differences to allow faculty insight into working with student needs. As noted in other sections, Moreau Catholic also holds high academic expectations for all students. Changes in the school's academic probation criteria resulted in the creation of an Academic Jeopardy"program to assist students for early academic intervention. To that end, assisting the counseling department, teachers, and other assistant principals, the position of Assistant Principal for Student Support was created for the Fall 2011. The responsibility of this administrator will be to assess and develop a plan for wider academic support programs for all Moreau Catholic students.
Focus Group Comments
Focus group recommends inclusion of the Saints and Scholars program (respect for differences) as well as the addition of the AP of Student Support Position as evidence.
Focus group recommends mention of the international student program in the paragraph that discusses Funabashi, etc.
Focus group recommends discussion of the large number of alumni who return to Moreau as staff/administration/faculty/coaches (evidence of nurturing environment = desire to return).
Could include the book drive and Read-a-thon in support of OLR as an example/evidence
Please insert any comments or edits to the narrative in this space. These comments will be integrated into future versions of the narrative.
Crab Feed largest fundraiser or student fundraiser? Clairify.
For over seven(correction: nine years) years, Moreau Catholic High School has also been coordinating an exchange program with students from Notre Dame des Missions in Charenton, France.
WE NEED the narrative to reflect this evidence.